As we near the end of the year, we begin to question the year to come. What is next? What can we do to prepare? Specifically, where is media going in 2019?

For a while there, users were engaging in shared experiences, and while that is still very accurate, media consumption is shifting into more curated and connected content for consumers. Ever notice the "Recommended For You" feature on Instagram...their algorithms understand our every move, like, share, view and want to provide more carefully selected content like that to us.

So, what is next for media consumption in 2019? Let's take a look:

Digital technology utilization has reached its expected plateau. According to Pew Research Center, there was little to no growth from 2016 to 2018 in terms of U.S. consumers using their smart devices: cellphones, tablets, etc. The slowdown in growth correlates to the fact that almost everyone has some sort of smart device. This isn't indicative of media usage, however. Users are now more aware of their time spent on device and in app...

Time spent on device and in-app makes consumers highly aware of their consumption. Smartphones now allow you to receive a weekly update of your device usage. Even Facebook and Instagram are offering a tracking tool to users. You can set the amount of time per day you would prefer to spend on social platforms and receive notifications when you have reached that threshold.

Audio and video streaming services are still rising. While video killed the radio star, streaming services are killing both their predecessors. According to Gartner Iconoculture, 55 percent of U.S. households now subscribe to at least one video-streaming service (up from 10 percent in 2009). In addition, the average subscriber pays for three different services, bringing the industry nearly $2.1 billion in revenue per month. Tired of ads? Try Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music or even Amazon Music Unlimited. While the latter options are still figuring out their audiences, Spotify and Apple Music are leading the streaming ship.

Twitter and Snapchat are on their way out. (Well sort of.) The two social platforms have seen a steady decline in users in 2018 and we anticipate that will continue in 2019. In efforts to redesign the user interface, Snapchat appeared to fail quite miserably, leading to several unhappy users. So much so, the platform saw a 15 percent stock price drop within the first quarter (yikes!). And according to Bloomberg, Twitter lost nearly one million users in the second quarter of this year.

YouTube's recommended content causes users to stay in platform longer. Ever watch a YouTube video and then realize it's a half hour later and you've watched too many cooking recipes, makeup tutorials, reaction videos or fail compilations? (Cue nervous laughter. Yeah, me neither.) Today, users are engaging in YouTube videos for more than just entertainment purposes. According to Pew Research Center, nearly 50 percent of users watch YouTube videos for how-to related content, while 13 percent find the platform informative in understanding world events. In addition, due to YouTube's algorithm, users are staying on the platform even longer than anticipated. The algorithm encourages users to watch "Recommended Content" based on videos they have watched previously, with nearly 81 percent of YouTube viewers clicking on the recommended content. (Okay, one more "animals doing cute things" video and then we will do something else.)

Mini-Me says one billion dollars, and Apple says 1 trillion. Technology could save your life, doctors are 3-D printing organs to give a hand in the operating room. Nobody really knows the extent of the impact that technology has on kids, but we're about to find out. 7 ways to utilize Instagram stories to get the most attention on your page. How giving back can build your business.

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4 things retailers should learn from Apple as it nears $1 trillion market cap. Apple Inc. stock jumped to another record high Wednesday, bringing its market cap ever closer to the $1 trillion market cap that no other U.S. company has ever achieved. All this after the release of strong iPhone sales and better-than-expected fiscal Q3 results and outlook. In addition, CEO Tim Cook who is easing investor concerns about a potential impact on demand in Apple's key growth market, said he's "optimistic" that the U.S.-China trade war will "get sorted out."

Hospital turns to 3-D printing technology. Replica organ models, however, like those printed by biomedical engineer Greg Gagnon in an office in Baystate's intensive care unit, can get him as close to reality as possible without actually cutting a patient open. With support from the hospital's administration, self-taught Gagnon is singlehandedly changing the way Baystate surgeons plan their work.

Tech's impact on kids: Lawmakers push for research. The studies will explore a handful of mediums, from social media, apps and games to movies, mobile devices and virtual reality, and their effects on infant, child and teen cognitive and physical health. The research would also inform parents and policymakers about issues today's youth face in the digital age, including bullying and depression, according to Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts who introduced the bill.

Meanwhile, back at the RANCH

7 Instagram story features you should be using. Instagram Stories was the platform enhancer we (and brands) never knew we needed. It has become a powerful way for brands to inspire and engage with users. Since launching in 2016, it has increased in popularity with nearly 400 million Instagram accounts using Instagram Stories every day.

Why cause marketing should be your top priority. Teenagers have a voice and they are not afraid to make it heard. 68% of teens believe corporations have a larger obligation to the good of society. More than 25% of teens have been to a rally or boycotted a company. Teens are watching, which is why your involvement and contribution to the greater good matters.

Featuring a nurse in your new ad campaign may just break through. As would sponsoring a wellness festival. Baking and board games resonate creatively with Gen We. And from Gen We to Matures, people are dropping mobile e-shopping. Check up on this and more.

As the rumblings around digital addiction escalate, other trends are emerging as well – like digital wellbeing. Mistakes happen at every business. It's how the business responds to mistakes that makes all the difference to the customer. The remote working movement is hotter than ever. Now, Vermont wants a piece of the action. Yes, Vermont. Online shopping is on the rise, but more consumers are opting to shop from a computer than a phone. And no, it's not an age thing.

More people are shopping online. And people who shop online are shifting more purchases online. This surprises no one.

What was once clandestine consumption, is now smiling at us from the Amazon Prime boxes that pepper every other porch on the block. It's piled high in apartment complex mailrooms, demanding more square footage. It's the personal shoppers bullying their wide-load grocery carts through the store to fill your order before you arrive at curb side pickup.

According to an NPR/Marist poll, nearly two-thirds of U.S. consumers and 92 percent of online shoppers say they've purchased something on Amazon. They shop online for the convenience ("You can shop anytime day or night"), for the ease ("It's easier to find the item you are looking for"), for the selection, for the solitude ("You can avoid lines and people") and for other reasons big ("It's cheaper") and small ("Recommendations by the online retailer are available").

Again, not terribly surprising. But what is surprising is how consumers are opting to shop online. Retailers take note. That oft-featured money shot of a busy-yet-perfectly coifed and lipsticked businesswoman/wife/mom reaching for her phone to place an online order that will heroically save her from traffic/lines/people, is trending weary. Cue the desktop and tablets.

A growing number of North Americans are using a computer rather than phone to shop online. According to a recent Forrester study, e-commerce sales grew 14 percent between 2016 and 2018. But during the same period, the volume of e-purchases made with a mobile device, as a percentage of all e-commerce sales, dropped from 43 percent to 36 percent. The percentage using their phone to make a purchase at least weekly fell from 21 percent to 16 percent.

Participants who preferred to use a computer to shop online cited ease of shopping (51 percent), being "more used to their computer" (46 percent) and mobile screens being too small (30 percent), according to research by Gartner Iconoculture.

It's not an age thing. Yes, Boomers and Matures appreciate larger screens but so does Gen We. At least a third of Gen We students studied typically use computers, often tablets, to shop online.

Said Forrester vice president and principal analyst Sucharita Kodali, "There are few ‘no PC' households in the U.S. And we don't anticipate that changing as young children are becoming accustomed to larger — not smaller! — screens."

These studies emphasize the importance of always thinking cross-screen to ensure the optimum consumer experience. This is especially true in the retail space where retargeting can be used to follow consumers across devices and compel purchase.

Internet security is an important issue for all of us. It's easy to be complacent and assume that it'll never happen to you — you're too sensible and secure with your data after all, right? You can finally sit back and relax for real, thanks to Uber's newest feature. Why you need a YouTube channel and what to do first. Marketers assume that users will trade their data in exchange for ads that are highly specific to their interests. Users beg to differ.

Uber adds a panic button to its app in the U.S. Uber has experienced its fair share of bad press over the last couple years from workplace discrimination to unsafe drivers. The company is looking to score some points today and make riders feel more secure.

Users are souring on ad tracking. People are fed up with cavalier approaches to data security. Companies that rely on unfettered access to user data would be wise to listen to people's complaints.

Meanwhile, back at the RANCH

Healthcare Checkup – May 2018. Get our key takeaways from three healthcare and marketing conferences we attended this month, and highlights from the AHA Annual Meeting.

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Millennials. Discover who Millennials are, why it's important to market to them, and how you can increase brand loyalty and engagement. Download our free whitepaper "8 Rules of Marketing to Millennials."

Plans for Earth Day? Adidas does and it's sure to be a win for the oceans. Another win – Uber is no longer just a ride-hailing company, they're expanding their business. Looking to expand yours? Perhaps, it's time to answer this: Is youth or experience the key to a successful decision-making team? Turns out, it's a trick question. However, one thing's for certain, women use their phones for far more than just communicating.

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Adidas is gearing up for Earth Day. The brand partnered with Major League Soccer and Parley for the Oceans to create Earth Day soccer jerseys from upcycled plastic ocean waste. See why this partnership represents everything that is beneficial in cause-based collaborations.

What do the Girl Scouts of the USA and North Face have in common? Both have teamed up for equal representation of women. Speaking of teams, are you team Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks? One of these brands has better social engagement. Another defining characteristic of a successful brand – mobile. And according to Gen Z, a filter isn't just for Instagram.

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The North Face aims to "Move Mountains." More adventurous, brave, boundary-breaking women need to be featured in advertising and social media campaigns. Check out the ways the brand is taking its new campaign to heart.

Brand loyalty would be a simple feat were it not for fickle consumers and evolving tastes. Just ask a restaurant chain. AR will be the death of brick and mortar retail. Or its resurrection? Handy search hacks to help you get all the answers. Patients missing appointments? Cue Uber Health.

How to ride the mobile AR wave in 2018. The time is ripe for app developers to jump into AR with both feet. Take a look at the ways you could get the most out of AR, and how it could transform everyday experiences.

Healthcare Checkup – March 2018. Touchpoint Analysis, virtual hospitals, and at-home testing keep healthcare accessibility at the forefront. March Madness and influencer marketing insight. Topped off by endearing children hospital videos – led by their biggest stars.

A supermodel with coding ability? Check. Making coding lessons more accessible to young girls? Double check. Diversity is a competitive weapon in the tech industry. Move over "smart homes," smart cities are coming to town. How to survive a brand crisis? Plan before it hits.

Millennials. Discover who Millennials are, why it's important to market to them, and how you can increase brand loyalty and engagement. Download our free whitepaper "8 Rules of Marketing to Millennials."

Let's talk tech. Google takes assistance to the next level with a fun home. Fast-food brands vs. fast-casual restaurants. Ever dream about being the star of your own Super Mario game? Well, now you can with a new stunt from Nike. Starting your spring cleaning? Don't forget to spruce up your digital space.

The Brogan crew is preparing to depart on our annual Mystery Trip. And Delta's "Runways" ad has us excited for takeoff. With International Women's Day this week, this video about the gender pay gap is getting a lot of attention. Marketing makes a difference. This industry drives the campaigns, hashtags and images that force conversation and shape culture.

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Why Brogan?

Results. Strategic insights that deliver more "aha" moments. Creative that makes an emotional connection. Account service that creates happy clients. And metrics that move your business forward. We guarantee you'll be delighted.